A Doublehead Senufo-Mask, Kpelie, of oval deeply concave form, the thin perimeter pierced for attachment, both nearly identically faces with diminuitive jutting fascial plane, the protruding mouth with pursed lips and stylized teeth, slender t-shaped noses framed by pierced slit eyes and bands of incised scarifications, differenent abstract appendages surrounding the mask, the origina raffia attachment, deorated with a brass bell; slightly glossy and dark brownish, encrusted patina, collected in the borderdestrict of Ivory Coast and Mali, around 50 km from Korhogo.

Kpelie-masks were worn during funeral sessions By the Poro society. These funeral festivities are marked by masquerades, which symbolically expresses the fundamental dualities in Senufo Thought: mal/female, body, spitit, life/death. In general this type of mask is symbolizing an ideal woman. The unique features which characterize the Kpelie mask include elongated flanges radiating from the bottom part of the mask, which are a reference to the hornbill bird. The horns on the mask refer to the ram, an important sacrificial animal. The nodules on the forehead represent palm nuts as well as vulvas; they are flanked by cicatrization marks that symbolize the twins born to the primordial couple.The significance of the double face are not known, but double- and single- faced Kpelie are used interchangably.

Holas, B., L'Art Sacré Sénoufo, Limoges, 1978, Facing the Mask, Herreman, Frank, Museum for African Art. s. publ.

1.200 - 1.600,- Euro

sold

Height of the wooden part: 35 cm
Height incl. raffia attachments: 85 cm
Weight: 1,2 kg